Computer Games

The Positive Side of Computer Games

Is there anything positive to be gained from playing computer games?

In the last 20 years or so, computer games have become an increasingly more popular hobby, particularly within the youth population. While many people believe there to be no positive aspects to gaming, their increasing popularity demonstrates that computer games must have something to offer that other hobbies do not. While in its earlier years, computer gaming was seen as an incredibly solitary form of entertainment because the computers of the time did not have the capabilities to process more than one player, this is no longer the case. As computers have advanced, so have computer games. Now, people can form communities and groups, both on the internet and off, where they all enjoy a common pastime together. Combined with the internet, gaming has also helped contribute to the globalization of technology.

Are computer games and video games the same thing?

While computer games and video games are often referred to as one and the same, video games are actually a sub-category of computer games. Computer games refer to a game that must be played using a computer to input data, while video games are a form of computer game where a video display is the main feedback device for the gaming process. Though there are few still in existence with the growing popularity of video games, computer games include those games that use either text, or sound, or a combination of the two, as the primary form of feedback to the gamer.

These definitions are the formal distinctions between terms. In our world today, the commonly believed difference between a computer game and a video game is that a computer game is played on a personal PC, while a video game is the all encompassing term used for a game played on any device. In common terminology, video game refers to any game that can be played on a computer, video game consul, cellular phones, PDAs and even calculators.

Are video games and computer games compatible?

Most popular games are made for various systems. However, a consumer must buy a version of the game that is compatible with their computing device – whether that is a personal computer, gaming system or other device. For example, a game bought for a gaming system will not be able to be installed or played on a personal computer, and vice versa.

If games are not compatible on different devices, how can one join a group of gamers online and be compatible?

There is a difference between personal device compatibility and group compatibility. It is assumed that each person in a gaming community or group has installed or are using their own version of the game in question. This means that they have bought a version of the game that is compatible with their device, When the data is sent into the electronic world of the internet, their device and game compatibility no longer matter because their actions in the game are transmitted to others in code, therefore that is interpreted by each device to represent their moves, allowing various machines to play together for the same game.